Res 0205-2024

Whereas, Over 76,000 New York City students experience learning disabilities, according to a 2018 report from the New York City Department of Education (DOE); and Whereas, Dyslexia, a disability characterized by difficulty in processing language that impedes reading, is the most common learning disability, according to a 2014 report from the National Center for Learning Disabilities; and Whereas, Public schools in New York City do not use the curriculum and teaching methods required to effectively teach students experiencing dyslexia or other phonemic awareness challenges; and Whereas, Students with dyslexia or other phonemic awareness challenges must learn to read through a multi-sensory, phonics-based approach, such as Orton-Gillingham instruction; and Whereas, The current education system teaches reading with a balanced literacy approach, which has been ineffective for the roughly 10%-20% of students who experience dyslexia or other phonemic-based learning challenges; and Whereas, Establishing one school in each New York City community school district dedicated to teaching these students using evidence-based approaches, such as Orton-Gillingham, would drastically improve the chances of them becoming fluid and fluent learners; and Whereas, A. 838, sponsored by Assemblyman Robert Carroll, would achieve such a goal by requiring a city of one million people or more to dedicate one school in each school district within the city to specialize in the teaching of students with dyslexia and other phonemic-based learning challenges; and Whereas, This bill would further enable its mission to be reached by requiring all teachers in such specialized schools to have at least 20 hours of training in the utilization of multi-sensory sequential phonics techniques, such as Orton-Gillingham; now, therefore, be it Resolved, That the Council of the City of New York calls upon the New York State Legislature to pass, and the Governor to sign, A. 838, an act to amend the education law, in relation to establishing schools dedicated to teaching dyslexic students in certain school districts. Session 13 LS #3856 01/12/2024 Session 12 JB LS #3856 1/9/22 2:05pm